Catholic History - Church Councils

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Church Councils

Red BallBasel-Ferrara-Florence, 1431-45
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the General Councils held at Basel, Ferrara, and Florence. The Council at which the Pope, Eugene IV, reasserted the authority of the Bishop of Rome over General Councils. The Council also effected reunions with the Greek, Armenian, and Coptic churches. Chapter 17 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallChalcedon, 451
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the General Conucil of Chalcedon, which defined against the Monophysites the traditional belief of the Church on the two natures of Christ. Chapter 4 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallConstance, 1414-18
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the General Council of Constance, which ended the Great Western Schism, and which began the heresy of conciliarism, against papal primacy. Chapter 16 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallConstantinople I, 381
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the First General Council of Constantinople, which condemned Arianism, Apollinarism, and other forms of christological heresy. Chapter 2 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallConstantinople II, 553
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the Second General Council of Constantinople, which condemned the notorious 'Three Chapters' in a continuation of the Monophysite controversy. The condemnations were approved under pressure by a captive Pope Vigilius. Chapter 5 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallConstantinople III, 680-81
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the Third General Council of Constantinople, which condemned the Monothelism the denial that Christ had a human will. Chapter 6 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallConstantinople IV, 869-70
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background, history, and annulment of the Fourth General Council of Constantinople, which deposed Photius, so-called Patriarch of Constantinople, for impieties against the Holy See, only to have the condemnation overturned (with an acceptance of Photius's repentance) by Pope John VIII ten years later. Chapter 8 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallThe Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870
Msgr. Philip Hughes
A comprehensive survey of the origins, accomplishments and significance of the twenty General Council of the Church. Explains the nature and function of General Councils, and tells how each was called and what it accomplished, in the context of the climate of the times, the men who took part, and the intellectual currents which lay behind the final pronouncements.

Red BallOn Councils and General Councils
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Defines the General Council and analyzes its chief functions and its place in the life of the Church. Introduction to "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallEphesus, 431
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the General Council of Ephesus, which condemned the heresy of Nestorius, who separated Christ's humanity and his divinity by claiming that Mary should not be called Mother of God but only Mother of Christ. Chapter 3 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallLateran I, 1123
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background (the investiture controversy) and history of the First General Council of the Lateran, which dealt with disciplinary reforms, mostly among the clergy. Chapter 9 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallLateran II, 1139
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the Second General Council of the Lateran, a largely disciplinary council with the clergy and some lay offenses. Chapter 10 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallLateran III, 1179
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the Third General Council of the Lateran, which promulgated laws regarding the 'social, as well as the spiritual, life of the Catholic. Chapter 11 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallLateran IV, 1215
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the Fourth General Council of the Lateran, which reformed Church life and, in its doctrinal pronouncement, first sanctioned the term 'transubstantiation.' Chapter 12 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallLateran V, 1512-17
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the Fifth General Council of the Lateran, which, in addition to several doctrinal and other disciplinary acts, introduced censorship of books by the diocesan bishops, and passed certain reforms dealing with the mendicant orders. Chapter 18 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallLyons I, 1245
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of First General Council of Lyons, which exommunicated and deposed Emperor Frederick II, and enacted 22 canons dealing with Church law. Chapter 13 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallLyons II, 1274
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the Second General Council of Lyons, which effected a temporary reunion of East and West and enacted a number of disciplinary laws, including modifications of the manner of electing a pope. Chapter 14 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallNicaea I, 325
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the First General Council of Nicaea, which condemned the Arian heresy (denial of Christ's divinity) and wrote the Nicene Creed. Chapter 1 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallNicaea II, 787
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background, history, and western aftermath of the Second General Council of Nicaea, which condemned iconoclasm, that belief that the veneration of images is idolatrous. Chapter 7 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallTrent, 1545-63
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the General Council of Trent, the great council which defined the true faith against the errors of Protestantism, reformed the entire life of the Church, and ordered both the great restoration of the liturgy carried out under Pope Pius V, and the composition of the Roman Catechism (Catechism of the Council of Trent). Chapter 19 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".

Red BallVatican (I), 1869-70
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the First Council of the Vatican, which made doctrinal pronouncements on creation, revelatin, faith and reason, and papal primacy. If formally defined papal infallibility.

Red BallVienne, 1311-12
Msgr. Philip Hughes
Background and history of the General Council of Viennce, which besides its disciplinary laws defined that the rational soul is the form of the human body, and condemned heresies of the Beghards and Beguines. However, the Council is best known for being the occasion of the supression of Knights Templars. Chapter 15 of "The Church in Crisis: A History of the General Councils, 325-1870".